Window actuating mechanism



J. B. PARSONS ETAL WINDOW ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed May 23, 1939' 2 Sheets-Sheet l gin/0W dob/7 5. Pardons fll/r/on 5 F/aradaj/ My Nov 10, 1 942. PARSONS ETAL 2,301,576

' wnmow ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed May 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E I [ZS-.5.

7; 74 y k 75 '77 7x 3/ 53 57 7 5mm 72 O O O 34 dob/7 5. Parsons Burfan .5. F/o/aday Patented Nov. .10, 1942 I UNITED STATE s PATENT OFFICE 2,361,578 wnmow acrua'rmc MECHANISM of Michigan Application May 23, 1939, Serial No. 275,201

This invention relates to automotive vehicle window regulators, and is particularly directed to automatic means for controlling the windows of such vehicles.

An object of the present invention is to provide means for opening and closing automobile windows, controllable by means located within easy access of the operator, or other occupant, of the vehicle. v

Another object of the invention is to provide fluid actuated means which are electrically controlled for operating the windows.

A further object is to provide a novel remotely controlled power cylinder for regulating the position of one of a plurality of windows, wherein valve means are provided to govern the amount of window opening and retain the window in adjusted position.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of oneembodimerit of the present invention, only one of the plurality of windows to be operated being illustrated; a

Figure 2 is an enlarged iragmentary view of thawindow and operating means shown in Figure 1, with the power cylinder or shown in vertical section; and

Fi ure-3 is an enlarged vertical sectionalview" of the power cylinder in another position of operation.

- Figure 1 illustrates somewhat fragmentarily a the invention portion of an automobile indicated generally at Ill, and shown as including an instrument board 14, floor l5 and toe board l6. One of the doors I8 of the vehicle is shown as including a window opening is adapted to be closed by means oi. a glass or other transparency 26. Mounted interiorily of the door i8 and below the glass 26 is the window operating means indicated generallyat 22, and including a pair of levers 23 and 24 pivotally connected intermediate their ends, and each having one end pivoted respectively to a glass supporting channel 25 and a support 26 carried by the door. Lever 23 is connected by a link 28 for operation by a power unit, indicated generally at 30 and illustrated in detail'in Figures 2 anrl3.

' The 'power unit 38 comprises a reciprocable cylinder 3! connected to the lower end 0! link 28, and within which is positioned a piston 32 supported by a bracket 34 fixed to the door structure It. The piston 32 comprises a e v body portion 36 preferably integral with a remay be utilized to further insure a positive conduced tubular portion 33 carried by the bracket, it being understood that the sleeve and tube may be separate elements if desired. On the outside of sleeve 36 is positioned a coil or winding 38, one end being grounded as at 33 and the other end being connected to a switch, hereinaiter described, by a lead 46. The sleeve 36 is enlarged at 4i and formed, with a flange 42 providing a shouldertor the reception of an annular gasket 44, the outer periphery of which is snugly re,- ceived in the bore of the cylinder 3|. A washer 45 is interposed between the upper end of coil 38 and gasket 4t and serves to prevent longitudinal displacement of the latter. Within the bore of sleeve 36 is a valve mechanism including upper and lower sections 41 and 48, having internal bores 49 and 66 within which is positioned a hellcal expansionspring 52 tending to separate the valve sections and retain the valve in normally closed position. A snap ring 53 received in an annular recess in the bore of sleeve 36 serves to limit movement of valve section 41 in one direction, and locates section 41 to provide a chamber 56 in the open end of sleeve 36. The chamber is in communication with the interior of the valve by a relatively small aperture 51 in the end of section 41. The lower end of section 48 is tapered and provided with a rubber or other flexible material tip 580i reduced diameter and having a flat r'id portion for engagement with the inner end of tube 33. Thus, a chamber 68 is provided between the tapered end of section 48 and the upper end of tube 33, which chamber is in com-.

most position. The other end of the tube 33 is reduced as at 61 and provided with an annular shoulder 68 to have a force flt in the end of a rubber or other flexible conduit I6 adapted to carry fluid under pressure to the power unit in a manner hereinafter appearing. A clamp ll nection between the tube and conduit.

The lower end of cylinder an is closed by means of a flexible cover 12 interposed between the end of the cylinder and the tube 33, and thus dirt and other foreign matter is excluded from the interior of the cylinder. The upper end of the cylinder is provided with an end head 14 having inner and outer generally cylindrical projections and 18, respectively. Suitably secured to the face of the inner projection 15 is a rubber or rubber-like disc 11 provided with a transverse slot or groove 18. the engagement between. the end head and the The disc 11 serves to cushion with a side port providing communication with the reservoir 88 through duct I00 and the valve IIO may be that shown in the copending application of John B. Parsons, Serial No. 270,014, filed April 25, 1939, or, alternatively, that shown in the United States patent to John I03. The pump B. Parsons, No. 2,216,518, issued October 1, 1940.

8| has an enlarged head projectable through the larger portion of a slot-like aperture 84 in the lever, and a bearing portion 85 receivable in the smaller portion of the aperture 80. Means in the form of a C-shaped spring 81 has one arm engaging the extremity of the other arm in engagement with the shank portion of a pin 88 afllxed to the lever 23. The spring 81 serves to resiliently connect the link 28 to the lever 28, permitting slight relative movement therebetween in the event of expansion of the fluid within the cylinder.

Lever 28 has an which lever reception .or a intermediate the ends of lever 24. One end of a spiral spring 84 is disposed in a transverse bore in the pin, the other end of the spring being in engagement with an ear or projection 85 provided at one side of lever 28. Spring 84 serves to urge the levers in one direction of relative movement, it being noted that the spring is so mounted that during closing movement of the. window it' is placed under tension, and, consequently, assists in the opening movement of the window.

Referring again to Figure 1, means are illustrated for supplying as are means for controlling the supply means, and means remote therefrom for energizing or rendering eil'ective the entire system. The power means has been shown as a hydraulic system including a reservoir 88, which need not be a number of branches, herein illustrated as four.

pipes I05, I06, I01

vehicle (not shown) A valve, indicated generally at H0, is directly associated with or may form a part of the pump Associated with'the starter motor I 02 isa combined mechanical and electrical switch indicated at I60. The switch I60 may be closed manually by depression of a plunger I6 I, or it may be closed electrically by energization of a solenoid indicated by the reference numeral I62. In the illustrated structure a lever I64 is suitably pivoted intermediate its ends and adapted to be rocked about the pivot upon depression of a starter link 28, and the power to the cylinder 8|,

' tional ignition or pedal I66 by a link I61 connected therebetween. Depression of the pedal I66 on the motor shaft into mesh fly wheel of the engine (not causes the lever I68 to engage plunger I 6I carrying a contact bar I68 into engagement with a pair of contact elements for completing the circuit from a battery I10 to the starting motor. Obviously, if the motor I02 is to be used to supply power to operate the windows of the vehicle, additional means are required to energize the motor so that the driving connection between the starter motor and the engine will not be established at times when it is desired to regulate the windows.

In accordance with standard automotive practice, a single wire system is used to control the organization oi the present invention, all circuits leading from the battery to a suitable ground. A switch I14 is mounted for convenient manipulation by the operator of the vehicle as on the dash I4, and may be of any suitable construction,

with a gear on the shown) and then preferably provided'with four spaced contacts or binding posts to which certain of the wires of the present circuit are connected. The switch mechanism may be enclosed in a suitable box within which are carried four or more independently operable elements I16 for controlling respectively each ofthe four or more windows of the vehicle. Each of theswitch elements is preferably arranged so that it has a neutral position from which the switch is moved upwardly to energize a circuit to close the window and downwardly to energize a circuit to open the window. Thus, the element I 16 is arranged to interconnect a plurality of contact elements I80, I8I, I82 and I83, which are connected into the circuit in the following manner. Contact I isconnected by a lead I88 to one side the other side of the by lead I8I to a suitable ground. Contact III is connected to one side of the solenoid coil 88 in unit 30 by a lead I81, it being noted that four leads, one for each window power unit, are illustrated as being connected to the contact I8I,

which is preferably a four-part contact or four separate contacts, This circuit is completed by suitably grounding the other end of the coil. Contact I82 is connected to a switch 202 In turn connected to the battery I10 by means of a lead 200. Switch 282 may, if desired, be a convenaccessory switch of the vehicle, or a combined ignition and accessory switch.

first moves a pinion of the solenoid coil I82,- solenoid being-connected inlets and outlets Contact I83 is connected by a lead 204 to one side of the coil I38 mounted .on the flow con- I18 is moved downwardly, in which position the contacts I80, I8I, I82 and I83 are adapted to be bridged and when these contacts are thus connected current will flow from battery I10 through lead 200, switch 202-, switch I14, lead I90 to solenoid coil I62 to energize the solenoid and close switch I30 to energize motor I02. At the same time, lead 208 is supplied with current to energize solenoid coil I38 to move the valve IIO to position to permit fluid to be pumped from the power unit and be discharged into the reservoir 88. It will be noted that the circuit is such that the coil 38 in unit is also simultaneously energized to raise the valve section 48 to permit :fluid to be pumped out of the power unit.

When it is desired to close the window the switch element I16 is moved upwardly, in which position only contacts I80, I8I and I82 are bridged or connected into the circuit. Thus flow control valve solenoid coil I38 is not energized, so that valve H0 is in a position to permit passage of fluid from the reservoir 98 to the power unit 30. In this instance valve section is in its upper position to permit the passage of fluid into cylinder 3|, as shown in-Figure 2. The valve I I0 serves to reverse the connections of the pump with respect to the pipes I03 and I08. a

As shown particularly in Figure 3, when coil 38 is not energized, the valve section is in its ing and secured to that portion and cylinder to hold the cylinder in position to locate the window as desired.

Although switch I14 has been illustrated as being located on the dash- I4 within easy access oi the vehicle operator, it will be clearly understood that a duplicate switch or switches may be located elsewhere in the vehicle and connected to switch I14 in order, that the windows may be operated by other occupants of the vehicle.

It will be understood-that changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be efiected without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the appended claim.

What we claim is:

A power unit comprising a-reciprocable cylinder closed at one end, an elongated piston member disposed within said cylinder with a short portion of the length of said piston member being in sealingcontact with the inner wall oi said cylinder while the remainder of the length of said piston member is of reduced diameter, a longitudinal bore extending through said piston member to provide a passage for fluid under pressure into the closed end of said cylinder to move said cylinder relative to said piston member, a valve movable longitudinally within said bore, spring means normally urging said valve into position to close said bore, a solenoid surroundof said piston member of reduced diameter,said solenoid being lower position to trap fluid between the piston 40 of such diameter as to provide a piston skirt for guiding said piston member by contact with the inner wall oi! said cylinder, said solenoid being adapted, upon energization, to move said valve into position to open said bore, and means for energizing said solenoid.

JOHN B. PARSONS. BURTON S. FLQRADAY. 

